The Net Works

It's funny how we all take the Internet for granted, even though 'we all' have become a majority of the Irish population in just the past 18 months. Yet every so often you come across something that really does bring home how pervasive the net is in the lives of many Irish people.

So it was with my recent experience of Jumble Town, the online community run by Irish local authorities for shifting unwanted furniture, equipment etc that you no longer want (but don't want to take to the dump). I've been a tad critical of local authorities in previous posts, but credit where credit is due: their Jumble Town service is excellent.

But it wasn't just the functionality and user interface that impressed me - it was how many other people were using it! Last Sunday afternoon I uploaded images and details of two chest of drawers I wanted rid off, and within six minutes I had my first offer - and within one hour I had twenty offers from people in the greater Dublin area willing to come around and take the drawers away. The first set of drawers were then picked up that evening, and the second set the next evening.

Quite amazing - and proof that the net really has become an embedded part of the lives of a million plus people in contemporary Ireland.